Summit County Fishing Reporter: Snake River inlet a hot spot for kokanee

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Fishing is always good, but catching is, well, catching. Eleven Mile Reservoir is sporting more than a foot of ice, but the catching has slowed from the weeks before. Water clarity continues to be low in most areas. Jigs tipped with wax worms are a good choice.

Antero Reservoir also has a good foot of ice. While the action is also slow, it is fishing better than the Mile. The fish are running from 12 inches to 20 inches. A variety of baits and lures are popular, but for consistency, small pink, white or chartreuse jigs are a good bet. Remember to talk to the fish. Simply, if you get a bump, bump your lure. Jigging spoons on a second rod is also a way to attract fish.

Williams Fork Reservoir has capped and the ice is running from 5 inches to 10 inches, depending on location. As with all reservoirs, use caution getting on the ice, as changing levels can result in thin areas near shore. Fishing has been generally good, with a few small lakers being caught in deeper water. Sucker-tipped jigs are always a reliable choice.

Granby Lake has ice running from 3 inches to 6 inches. A little early for snow machines, although there’s no doubt someone will try their luck. Fishing has been good for rainbow and a few browns in shallow areas. Most trout baits are producing. The key is to keep moving the baits through the water column and change locations if the action is slow. Nearby Grand Lake has a better ice cap, and the fishing for small lake trout has been good.

Wolford Mountain Reservoir has several inches of ice near the dam. There are a few reports of taking kokanee on pink jigs. Another late-season spot for kokanee remains Snake River inlet on Dillon, where the ice is good. Expect a lot of company. Be careful moving far out onto the main lake for a little while yet. The cap is newly formed.

Green Mountain Reservoir has a little less than a foot of ice. Most reports indicate that fishing has been slow for lake trout. Staying near shore and fishing waters of less than 20 feet has been producing a few rainbows.

Further away, Rifle Gap Reservoir has developed a good coat of ice, more than 5 inches thick, and the trout action has been excellent. Greenish lures tipped with a bit of worm are working well. A few perch are showing up in deeper water, and a couple of walleye have been caught.

Dave Coulson is the Colorado state editor for www.fishexplorer.com. He contributes a weekly fishing report to the Summit Daily.